Applications for this feature are widespread but it would be particularly beneficial for eCommerce stores where products have fine and intricate detail that perhaps can’t be seen clearly in a small photo. It’s not only interactive but very engaging and this can only enhance a users experience - always a good sign especially in an eCommerce store!

In order for this to work every image needs two files, one small and one large. In essence the magnification area shows the detail from the large image when you roll your mouse over a section of the small image. Magic Magnify actually uses a Flash plugin for the photo zoom effect but with Flash being a pretty much ubiquitous technology this doesn’t become a usability hurdle. It’s smooth, quick, standards compliant, valid, and accessible.

Added to this it’s easy to add to your website in minutes (with a small piece of JavaScript code). You can customize it to suit your own site design by changing the size, shape and border of the magnifying glass if you wish. there absolutely no need to adjust the Flash file and for only £15 per site license it’s a steal!

Did I mention it’s also free for non-commercial websites!?

Why this site? And why now?

Well it’s quite simply really… Over the years I’ve noticed that many clients struggle to grasp how to get the most out of their websites. Having worked in this industry for more than a decade I have grown to live with the rapidly changing environment that I work in, but the continual learning can sometimes leave me feeling exasperated trying to stay on top of the game. So if I can struggle - how much more could somebody who doesn’t even work in this industry? It’s no wonder a lot of clients can feel lost!

Add to this the low barrier of entry into the industry and I sadly find many people passing themselves off as web designers or developers providing, at best, a mediocre service. It’s not necessarily that these suppliers are particularly unscrupulous, just simply well-meaning amateurs that believe the hype but struggle to deliver. Most fail to see their own shortcomings or unprofessionalism, and clients who buy their services don’t realise they’re effectivey buying a pipe dream. They just don’t know the right questions to ask in order to qualify an authentic quality vendor.

All to often I hear that a client has decided to use their son/neighbour (delete as appropriate) or Bob’s Internet Design, Networking, Computer repair, Web hosting and e-Commerce do-it-all-under-one-roof company, probably because his flyer dropped out of the free local newspaper. Either way the client eventually becomes unhappy with the results (sometimes none!) and disillusioned with web professionals in general. His risks can be substantial, but it’s only after the event that he starts to learn - the lowest price usually (not always) equates to the lowest quality, but how many times does that fall on deaf ears?

Y’see when Bob does deliver the website it’s not usually that long before the client realises that the little traffic it is attracting fails to return, and then one person actually tries to use the checkout but finds that it doesn’t work. Thanks to Bob’s faulty coding the customers personal details could now be up for sale on the black market - ouch!

So what can be done?
Well let’s not forget that this industry is still relatively new so we should appreciate how many clients can still be easily duped, however that said there are plenty of people intelligent enough to do a little research before handing over £1,000 or £8,000 for a website. You wouldn’t hire an solicitor or lawyer without runnning an eye over their credentials, a few checks to ensure they’re Kosher and have a decent reputation so why not a web vendor?

There are so many excellent web professionals around, I’ve met some awesome guys (& gals) out there who do some superb work, creating websites that not only look fantastic and function as intended without any brain-ache, but they also nail those all important commercial objectives. Now that’s professionalism in my book, not only delivering a great ‘accessible’ website that’s ‘usable’, but also adding serious value to the client’s business.

With Making websites work I hope to address these concerns and build a resource that clients can use to good effect when trying to develop a better business online. I have a few plans up my sleeve that will likely include some events in the future, most likely Webinars and probably training orientated. Until then I’ll be creating a lot more content that covers some significant areas I feel are pertinent. These are:

Planning your project - identifying the real online business objectives through key foundation preparation necessary before engaging with a vendor.

Producing your website - bringing all the inside knowledge on how to engage with the right vendors to produce your website, and what to do to keep them on track and on budget!

Promoting your work - this will feature lots of initiatives to help you and reach out to your audience and bring *quality* traffic to your site.

In addition I’m going to be adding a Resources section where you’ll find information on some of the really useful websites and features that can enhance the life of your online business.

So I hope this proves attractive - please do subscribe above to the RSS feed and my newsletter.

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Thanks again…

Rob.

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Thanks again…

Rob.

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Thanks again…

Rob.